Dispensing attachment for a liquid container



21, 1956 A. E. RICKARD 2,759,642

DISPENSING ATTACHMENT FOR A LIQUID CONTAINER Filed Aug. 23, 1954 INVENTOR. J71 zhar E. Piak 01rd ATTORNEYS United States Patent DlSPENSING ATTACHMENT FOR A LIQUID CONTAINER Arthur E. Rickard, Allenton, R. 1.

Application August 23, 1954, Serial No. 451,561

3 Claims. (Cl. 222-479) This invention relates to the dispensing of liquids from containers such as a fiveor ten-gallon can or drum or such as would ordinarily be handled manually for pouring liquid from an opening in the top wall of the container.

It frequently occurs that in pouring liquid from a can of the above character that the liquid closes the opening through which it is dispensed, blocking the travel of air into the container to fill the space in the container as the liquid is poured therefrom. This creates a condition of uneven flow of liquid from the container in spasms or gushes which is difficult to control when the liquid is being poured from the container.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide for the entrance of air into the container that a more even flow of liquid through an opening in the top wall may be had.

Another object of the invention is to provide an attachment which may be arranged to be secured to any of the standard containers and transferred from one to another.

Another object of the invention is to provide an ar- 'rangement so that the air may be directed in a desired direction with reference to the container to which the pouring spout is attached in order that the pouring spout may be more fully utilized.

Another object of the invention is to provide an attachment which may be of very simple construction and one which may be easily fabricated at a minimum of expense.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevation showing a container angled sufficiently for liquid to be dispensed therefrom by pouring and showing in dotted lines the arrangement for the entrance of air into the portion of the container above the liquid level;

Figure 2 is a sectional view showing in greater detail the dispensing attachment as secured to a container.

With reference to the drawings, designates generally a container comprising a cylindrical body or shell 11 having a bottom wall 12 and a top wall 13, both of which are set inwardly beyond the edge 14 of the cylindrical wall 11 and are sealed to the cylindrical wall 11 by rolling and welding as at 15. The top wall 13 is provided with an opening 16 about which there extends a flange 17 into which screw threads are rolled. This flange 17 has an inwardly extending lip 18 at the upper end thereof and is of a height less than the distance from the top wall 13 to the edge 14 of the cylindrical wall of the container so that the containers may be stacked one upon the other. This flange is adapted to receive a screw cap for closing the same. When the screw cap closure is removed, I may attach thereto the dispensing attachment designated generally 19.

This dispensing attachment 19 comprises a tubular pouring spout 20 which has at its inner end an outwardly extending flange 21 which engages the lip 18. A cup 22 ice having threads 23 is rotatably mounted upon the tubular spot 20 and will threadingly engage the threads in the flange 17 to attach the spout thereto. A soft packing 24 is located between the upper wall 25 of the cup 22 and the flange 21 and lip 18 so that as the cup is screwed into position, it will bind the filling spout in place and also provide a tight joint about the opening 16. Before the cup is screwed into locked position, the spout 20 may be turned to any position desired.

An air passage 26 is provided by means of a tubular member 27 abutting the inner surface of the tubular spout 2i) and terminating as at 28 just short of the outer end 29 of this spout 20. This tubular air passage 27 extends inwardly beyond the inner end of the spout 20 so as to extend through the opening 16 and is thence directed as at 30 at right angles to its longitudinal extent and the axis of the tube 20 at such location that it will be in close proximity to the top wall 13 of the container to which it is attached. This air conduit 27 may be attached to the spout 20 in any suitable manner such as by welding or soldering.

By this arrangement the portion 30 of the air conduit may be directed in any position of orientation about the axis of the opening 16 after it has passed through the opening 16 depending upon the direction in which the pouring is desired; that is, the right angular portion will be extended so as to be in the opposite direction to that in which the pouring is to be had. This orientation may be accomplished by rotating the tube 20 about its axis until the portion 30 is at the desired location, this being accomplished while the cup 22 is loosened. After the desired position has been established, then the cup may be tightened so as to bind the spout with its air passage in the position desired, and then pouring may be commenced.

In the illustration shown, liquid being poured is designated as 31 as it immerges from the end of the filling opening, and air will pass into the container through the air passage 27, arriving at a location above the liquid level 32 in the container in a minimum amount of time after pouring is commenced, and thereafter even pouring may be had throughout the remainder of the discharge of the liquid from the container, it being unnecessary to wait until the liquid has arrived at a level below the opening through which it is normally discharged in order that this even pouring may occur. This becomes exceedingly important where scarce liquids are used or liquids which when spilled may be highly inflammable.

I have found that a five-gallon can frequently has a discharge opening which will receive a spout 1%" in diameter and that an air passage tube of in diameter is substantially the correct proportion of air vent to dispensing spout which will give satisfactory results. These dimensions, of course, are not in any way limiting but given only by way of example and for completeness of disclosure.

I claim:

1. A dispensing attachment for a liquid container having a top wall with an opening therethrough surrounded by a cylindrical wall a tubular pouring spout having a flange at the lower end thereof adapted to engage the end of said cylindrical wall, an air passageway extending lengthwise of said spout and secured thereto, said air passageway terminating at the outer end of the spout and extending inwardly beyond the end of the spout sufficiently to enter the container and thence extending at substantially right angles to the length of the spout for positioning in close proximity to the top wall of the container and terminating a substantial distance short of the side wall thereof, a collar for securing said spout to said cylindrical wall, said collar being slidable along said spout and rotatable relative thereto and having an annular lip, a seal between said lip and said flange, and means on said collar H 2,759,642 I 3 4, to detachably secure the same to said cylindrical wall 110 means is by means of threads to engage threads about the clamp said sealbetween said lip and said flange to said pening 0f the cbijtini', end of said cylindrical wall.

2. A dispensing attachment as in claim 1 wherein said References Cit d i th fil of hi patent Ineansis such as to swive'lly attach the spout to said open- 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS ing for orientation of the" right angularly extending portionof'the' airpassage with reference to the said opening. 6 5,162 Gudenburr May 16, 1899 3. A dispensing attachment as in claim 1 wherein said 1,468,292 Harris et a1. Sept. 18, 1923 

